"Stage Theater Des Westens." Berlin Buhene. Accessed November 1st, 2017. https://www.berlin-buehnen.de/en/theatres/stage-theater-westens/
"Stage Theater des Westens." Berlin Welcome Card. Accessed November 1st, 2017. https://www.berlin-welcomecard.de/en/partner/stage-theater-des-westens
"Theater des Westens." Wikipedia.com. Accessed November 2nd, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_des_Westens
As Berlin entered into the wartime years, a major shift in actors and actresses emerged. The performers in theatres, such as the Stage Theater des Westens, fled from the state as a result of ridicule and prosecution by the Nazi regime. The influence on the performers in theatres such as this site, reflects its' historical significance. One significant group of individuals that were largely impacted during this period was the Jewish performers. Under Nazi control, Jewish people were removed from every area of public, and cultural life[9]. In response to this professional exclusion from the German stage, organizations such as the Jewish Cultural Association developed, which established the "KuBu" and staged plays and operas, as an outlet for Jewish performers in Germany[10]. The exclusion from common stages, which eventually were banned in general under Nazi control, had a large impact on entertainment.
As was mentioned, the Theater des Westens was reopened in 1934 under Nazi regime, but as a result of an air raid, needed to be rebuilt post-world War II. A significant factor in Berlin society during the 1930s was Nazism, many historians have questioned how to redefine the individual in Berlin between 1930-1945, suggesting whether Nazism is collectivistic or not[11]. Collectivist nature stemmed from the understanding of individuals needing to subordinate their own desires to the national community. A German newspaper in 1959, reported on the role of German films in fighting anti-Semitism[12]. This newspaper is an example of how the question of Berlin was discussed and the role of entertainment, or the subtle cabaret culture, contributed to the solution. This change in social dynamic in the 1930s contributed to the silencing of cabaret culture. The cabaret culture brought celebration and light to Berlin following the first world war, through the development of pop culture[13], however the influence of Nazism on restricting this entertainment district was significant. This theatre is significant as it was maintained under Nazi control, emphasizing the influence that politics had on all sectors of society; most significantly, this theatre is reflective of the government policy which dictated Berlin throughout the Second World War.
Sources
Bluhdorn, Annette. "Der Enkel Aus Berlin: Udo Lindenberg and the German Cabaret Tradition." German Life and Letters, 55, no. 4 (2002): 416-433.
Dove, Richard. "A Tale of Two Cities: The Actors Lilly Kann and Martin Miller in Berlin and London 1933-1945." Amsterdamer Beiträge zur Neueren Germanistik, 88, (2016): 20-41.
Follmer, Moritz. "Was Nazism Collectivistic? Redefining the Individual in Berlin, 1930-1945." The Journal of Modern History, 82 (2010): 61-100.
"There Are German Films Fighting Anti-Semitism." Vochenblatt Newspaper. (1959). Accessed from https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aN5FAAAAIBAJ...
[3] Ibid.
[4] "Theater des Westens." Wikipedia.com.
[6] "Theater des Westens." Wikipedia.com.
[7] Ibid.
[8] "Stage Theater Des Westens." Berlin Buhene.
[9] Richard Dove, "A Tale of Two Cities," 21.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Moritz Follmer, "Was Nazism Collectivistic? Redefining the Individual in Berlin, 1930-1945," The Journal of Modern History, 82 (2010).
[13] Annette Bluhdorn, "Der Enkel Aus Berlin: Udo Lindenberg and the German Cabaret Tradition."
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